My Last Breath
by I hate Potter yes I do
Summary: Ever wondered why Snape became a spy? Why Poppy became nurse? Here's how it happened. Song fic, rated for language and theme, please R&R!!


DISCLAIMERS!!!!! I do not own Harry Potter or any characters within Harry Potter. I DO however, own the plot and Alexis Siobhan Baldwin. The song is 'My Last Breath' by Evanescence... oh gods I love that song!!! I advise everyone to download it for the full effect of this fic. Don't sue, don't own noffink.   
  
  
  
  


Alexis was running. She had to get to Hogwarts and warn everyone there. She had to warn Dumbledore... she had to save Severus. They were after her, the Death Eaters and their forbidden curses. Damn them and their Lord. 

Alexis had been creeping around in her not-so-inconspicuous white tiger animagus form when that damnable snake of Voldemort's had found her and set the thousands of Death Eaters at the Death Eater convention or whatever the hell it was. So now she was running for her life, her hide torn and bloodied, tail broken, an ear torn off and a blinded eye. Most of her ribs were probably broken as well, and her breathing was becoming more laboured by the minute. 

She stumbled and fell, crashing onto her face. A curse whizzed past her head and she surged to her feet. 'I will not let them down!' she thought fiercely, letting loose with an earth-shaking roar and surging forwards again. She let loose a blood-curdling howl she had learned from a pack of wolves and heard the replying clicks. She smirked. The Death Eaters wouldn't be dealing with just her. How about several thousand giant spiders for desert? 

  
_Hold on to me love   
You know I can't stay long   
All I wanted to say was I love you   
And I'm not afraid   
Can you hear me?   
Can you feel me in your arms?_   


Forcing her way through the last straggles of bush and out of the Forbidden Forest, Alexis hurtled herself straight into the water and let loose with yet another great roar. Within moments she was surrounded by merpeople and was being dragged to the other shore where she was hurriedly dumped. Continuing her head-long plight up the hill, Alexis slammed into the door with her entire body, almost passing out as the pain from her numerous broken ribs and wounds screamed at her. Turning her face to the imposing doors, Alexis reared up on her hind legs and claws at them, a half-strangled roar coming from a throat now clogged with blood. The door opened and Alexis fell through and onto the floor and into the careful arms of Poppy. 

"Must... Dumbledore... Voldem..." was all Alexis could get out as she frantically changed back to human form, naked and freezing with thousands of wounds, broken bones and probably a pierced lung. She coughed and blood splattered on the floor and on Poppy's robes. 

  
_Holding my last breath   
Safe inside myself   
Are all my thoughts of you   
Sweet rapture light it ends here tonight_   


Poppy cursed loud and long as she took off her cloak and wrapped Alexis up in it. A couple of students had stopped to stare, but one had taken it into his head to call a Professor. 

Snape rounded the corner, expression stormy. His jaw went slack and his eyes widened as he took in the pale and shivering form of Alexis, blood dribbling down her chin. Once more, a long line of curses graced the halls of Hogwarts. 

"We've got to get her to Dumbledore," Poppy whimpered, looking up at Snape with teary eyes. 

"Quickly!" Snape half yelled, whipping out his wand and casting a levitation spell on Alexis. Poppy stumbled up after her, trying to keep her shivering form wrapped up in her cloak as Severus raced off with the floating Alexis in tow. She couldn't keep up with the pace the long-legged Professor had set, and so left her friend in the sharp-tongued man's care. 

"Death Eaters... going to kill... attack P...p..." Alexis groaned as she opened her only working eye and looked blearilly at Severus. 

"Shut up and hold on!" Severus barked, increasing his pace frantically as Alexis coughed up even more blood. Alexis remained silent for the rest of the race through the halls. 

When next she regestered where she was, Dumbledore was leaning over her and Poppy, dear Poppy, was pulling out hundreds of tiny vials and mixing them in a cup in the corner. Severus was holding her, fear wafting off him strong enough to strangle her. 

"V...vold... atta-aaack P-p-p-oooooootterrrrr..." Alexis managed to force out. It came out as half-gargled and more blood dribbled down her chin. She was deathly pale and shivering... but she couldn't tell if that was her or Severus. It was probably both. 

"I'll have the Auroras sent immediately. Don't worry Alexis, you'll be fine now. And thank you," Dumbledore said before exiting the room. 

Alexis hacked and blood splattered the carpet and the front of Severus' robes. "I'm sorry..." she whispered. Severus leaned closer, eyes misting with unshed tears. "I'm sorry..." she whispered again, this time a little louder. 

  
I'll miss the winter _A world of fragile things   
Look for me in the white forest   
Hiding in a hollow tree (come find me)   
I know you hear me   
I can taste it in your tears_   


"Sshhh... you'll be fine, Alexis. I know it... you'll pull through," Severus said, almost hysterical, a shaking hand brushing back her hair and carressing her cheek. 

"No... I'm sorry. I wasn't..." another hacking fit and more blood joined that on Severus' robes. "I wasn't afrrrrraid. I'm nnnnot afrrrrrrrrraid..." 

"You're going to be fine, damnit! You're going to get up tomorrow and wake me up with that sickeningly cheerful voice of yours and tear off the sheets to let me freeze! You're going to continue being my mornings kick-up-the-arse! Godsdamnit, Alexis! Can't you do anything to help her?!" Severus shouted at Poppy. 

"I'm trying! Just keep her here a little longer and whatever you do don't let her go to sleep!" Poppy snarled back, dashing away some more tears as she continued mixing potions. 

  
_Holding my last breath   
Safe inside myself   
Are all my thoughts of you   
Sweet rapture light it ends here tonight_   


"I'm nnnnot worth... it..." 

"Don't say that! You're worth this, and more!" Severus growled harshly at Alexis, probably harsher than he meant it. 

"I...I love you..." It was so quiet he almost couldn't hear it. As it was, he couldn't believe he heard it, so Severus leaned in closer. "I love you..." she whispered again, her one good eye closing. 

"And you tell me now? When you're..." Severus choked. He couldn't say it, couldn't admit she was going to die. He clutched Alexis tighter to himself, curling protectively about her as the tears ran unchecked down his face. "You can't die now! You want to know my answer?" Alexis barely nodded. "Well you have to live for me to tell you." 

"Tell... me..." she managed to growl, despite the gurgling at the back of her throat. She was going to drown in her own blood if she breathed in with her mouth. Thank gods she had more sense than that. "I'm not going... to last the nnnnnniiight..." Her body convulsed. "Teelllll me..." 

  
_Closing your eyes to disappear   
You pray your dreams will leave you here   
But still you wake and know the truth   
No one's there_   


It was all too much for Severus. Leaning over her face, cupping her cheek with one hand, he let his tears fall freely. "I love you, you idiot. Now stay alive!" he hissed angrilly, kissing her lips despite the copper tang that entered his mouth. When he pulled back, her body convulsed again and she shot half-upright, eye wide and mouth gaping as every muscle in her body screamed tension. 

"POPPY!!" Severus roared. "She's... she's dying! Hurry, damnit!" 

"I'm trying, I'm trying!" Poppy whimpered back, the tears obvious from her voice. Alexis' body relaxed, flopping limply into Severus' arms, then convulsed again, a tiny squeek of pain coming from her. As Alexis' body went limp once more, Poppy came over, cradling a potion carefully. "She has to drink this. Don't petrify her or she won't be able to drink it." 

Trying to hold it to Alexis' lips and make her drink while her body convulsed in its death throes had not only Severus' hands tied, but Poppy's as well. Finally, Alexis took a huge gulp. She had enough consciousness for that simple action before her body convulsed again and her mouth opened in a silent scream. 

Severus laid her back down on the carpet, tears streeming down his face and onto Alexis' bloody and battered one, her body having ceased its convulsions a few minutes ago. There were no signs of life, only the phantom image of a breath. 

"She's alive! She's too strong to be dead... she's alive! I know it!" Severus screamed at Dumbledore as he regretfully began to usher the mourning man out of the room. 

"You need sleep. And lots of it. Your classes will be cancelled for the next week or two so leave England and take a holiday," Dumbledore told him as another Professor guided the hysterical Snape to his quarters. 

Poppy brushed Alexis' previously gorgeous white hair away from her face, the hair that was now red and matted. "I'm sorry, Alex. I'm sorry I couldn't do better..." 

  
  


Three months later, Severus was back in Dumbledore's study, staring blankly at the space Alexis had occupied in her last few moments. He had cried. He had nothing left to cry, nothing left to live for. Only the promise that he would receive a sound beating if he joined her too soon kept him with the living, and the same went for Poppy. 

"So you want to spy for us," Dumbledore repeated. Severus' attention snapped back to Dumbledore's sympathetic face and he nodded. 

"I've been a faithful Death Eater for over six years now. I am in a place of power and could provice invaluable information on Lord Voldemort's actions," Severus said smoothely while inside he was anything but. No one knew what he was going through. 

"Are you doing this to honour Alexis' memory?" Dumbledore asked after a long pause. 

"Yes. She never wished me to become what I am... I want to give her something to be proud of." 

  
_Say goodnight   
Don't be afraid   
Calling me calling me as you fade to black_   
  
  
  
  


Feedback would be much appreciated. Should I resurect Alexis with amnesia? Should I tug Severus' heart strings some more? Or should I let the poor sod wallow in his own misery? TELL MEH!!!

  


~~*~~Priestess Of Ishtar~~*~~


End file.
